How being a YOGI helps me in the gym

Posted by Sep 16, 2015 sports, workout, yoga for athletes , , Leave a Comment
How being a YOGI helps me in the gym

I have worked out in a gym much longer than I have been practicing yoga. When I think back to my time in the gym before yoga I realize that I wasn’t working out as efficiently as I could due to a lack of knowledge and coaching. So here is how becoming a yogi has made me better in the gym.

Breathing

When practicing yoga you develop a refined sense of your breath. You learn to observe, control and deepen your breath. You begin to discover ways that your breath gives you strength beyond what you perceive yourself capable of. This doesn’t end when you finish your yoga practice. You can use these tools to help you maintain body awareness in the gym too ensuring that you stay safe in your exercises and to give you the ability to lift more or do more reps.

Improved range of motion

Yoga is touted with being one of the best ways to improve flexibility. And while it does so much more than that it certainly is a means to getting deeper in your squats. A lot of athletes don’t think they need more flexibility. Yet if you remove the weight in some of their exercises and ask them to show you their range of motion they likely won’t get very far with their body properly aligned….and they expect to do it properly with weight?! You will feel so much more power in your movements when you move with more ease through a full range of motion. And less likely for injury to happen when compensation is at a minimum.

Core strength & awareness

I’ve seen strong athletes with apparent, defined abdominals struggle to hold a side plank. It’s not that they don’t have the core strength to do so but they also need to fine tune how they use their core. Once we learn to stabilize from the core we can develop more strength and power in our movements. I see this in myself when I spin. When I’m aware of my centre and I draw in (like I’ve practiced so many times in yoga) it allows me to use less effort to push harder.

Energy locks

In yoga we refer to energy locks as Bandhas which means to lock, to hold, to tighten. There are three bandhas in the body and one that ties them all together. I won’t go into much detail here about how to find them or what they do. For that you are going to have to give yoga a try. To understand them you need to imagine that energy can move out of the body (not very useful when training) or stay within the body (more energy in to push harder or longer). Here’s an example that you can try if you’ve ever done prowler runs. Try a set with your chin forward then try a set with your chin drawn into your chest (i.e making a double chin). In the later you should feel stronger, faster, and the exercise slightly easier. Remember it takes practice to refine this just like anything else.

I love being in the gym, pushing myself, and I also love yoga, taking care of myself. I cannot imagine doing either one of these without the other anymore. If this has piqued your interest maybe it’s time to set the dumbells down and roll out a yoga mat!

Spring Yoga Adventure Retreat 2015 Recap

Posted by Jul 10, 2015 adventure, fitness, glamping, health, hiking, kayak, passion, SUP, wine, yoga Leave a Comment
Spring Yoga Adventure Retreat 2015 Recap

A month has already passed since myself and two dozen other adventurous souls embarked on the first Yoga Adventure Retreat in St. Williams, Ontario. I’m still buzzing from the energy and fun that we had. I never would have believed that months of planning, organizing and marketing would have resulted in such a relaxing and rejuvenating experience for myself as an organizer but also for each individual who came. We had the best group of people come together. They came from all over Ontario and many had never met each other yet some how everyone enjoyed each other’s company and brought their own flavour to the weekend.

The retreat was held at the beautiful Long Point Eco Adventures (www.lpfun.ca). The accommodations were unique with amazingly comfortable beds (each one had a personal heater), in room flush toilets and an outdoor shower. I almost didn’t want to leave the room. The staff went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable. The facility is top notch and everyone must visit sometime. Trust me when I say you won’t want to leave!

The retreat began on a Friday evening. I arrived ahead of schedule and grabbed myself a bottle of cab frank from Burning Kiln Winery (www.burningkilnwinery.ca) across the street. I quickly fell into the groove of being on holidays as I sipped my wine under the Marshview Tent overlooking the serene Long Point inner bay with one of my guests. We watched all kinds of beautiful birds fly around us and shared wonderful conversation. Slowly other guests arrived and joined us under the tent after being led to their own tents to drop off their luggage. Before we knew it our dinner, which was catered by The Blue Elephant restaurant in Simcoe (www.blueelephant.ca), was delivered right to us under the tent. The food was plentiful and delicious. They clearly used local, fresh ingredients and we could not get enough. Especially the chocolate cake…or maybe that was just me! After dinner we rolled out our yoga mats on the grass and enjoyed a gentle, relaxing yoga practice then met at the campfire for some conversation and laughs until one by one we headed to bed. You couldn’t help but marvel at the beautiful sky full of stars. Next time I want to experience the observatory they have right on site. I personally had one of the best sleeps I have had in a long time. It was so quiet there.

On Saturday morning we woke up to a yummy breakfast served in the Kambuka tent. There’s something about fresh coffee and fresh air! Then we split into two groups to head off to our morning adventure. Half the group departed for a kayak tour along Big Creek and the other half drove to Port Dover to do some Stand Up Paddle board along the shores of Lake Erie. Both groups thoroughly enjoyed their tour and found them physically challenging and rewarding. The kayak group overcame an obstacle when a tree was blocking their route, they had to portage over it. I was in the SUP group and we faced some rough waters but still managed to paddle for 7.5 km and fit in some SUP yoga at the very end. Those in the SUP group were able to fit in a short yoga practice back at LPEA before the kayak group arrived back. So far the weather had been great even though the initial forecast was calling for rain most of the weekend.

Saturday evening we all gathered and walked across the street to the Burning Kiln Winery. We had a tour of the vineyard and the production facilities and learned so much about the birth and growth of wine production in an area of agriculture most known for tobacco. It was very educational and interesting. Then we headed to our own private tent onsite for a wine tasting. The staff at BK were wonderful and lots of fun. Maybe it was the wine talking but I felt like this might have been my favourite part of the weekend. That feeling of being outside all day, satiated from the physicality of our earlier adventure and perfectly relaxed in the evening sun. Our meal was provided by David’s of Port Dover (www.davidsportdover.com) and was absolutely amazing. Many of us took home some “grown-up” souvenirs to enjoy later. Some of us enjoyed more wine back at the campfire until we all headed to bed.

On Sunday morning we once again had breakfast in the Kambuka tent and headed out for a short hike through the Carolinian forest which stretches all the way to Long Point, a designated UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. The sun was out and we enjoyed one last yoga practice outdoors. Soon after, the thunder and rain began delaying our zip lining tour. Six of us were able to wait out the thunder but many had to head back home so they left with a voucher to come back and take the tour. Those of us who stayed faced our fears, screamed until we were hoarse and bonded over goosebumps and smiles. We all gave each other hugs goodbye even though just a short time ago many were strangers. It was sad that the weekend had come to an end, I didn’t want to leave. Most told me how much they truly enjoyed the weekend and how they couldn’t wait for the next one.

I loved every second of the weekend and I have all the participants to thank plus Long Point Eco Adventures, Burning Kiln Winery, David’s, The Blue Elephant, SUP guides, Kayak guides and Mother Nature for providing us with this gem of an area called Norfolk County! To see more pictures from the weekend click here :http://1drv.ms/1d1u2h4  IMG_4553 IMG_4560 IMG_4589

If you are interested in the next Yoga Adventure Retreat subscribe to my blog and I will post dates as soon as I can.

Namaste & Zip on!

Yoga for Athletes: Mastering the Breath

Posted by Mar 6, 2015 yoga Leave a Comment

I will never forget the day when one of my students, a professional lacrosse player and varsity hockey player, gave me some great feedback. He told me that one thing he really took from yoga was a new found awareness of his breathing. Imagine that! We start breathing oxygen the moment we enter the world but very few people actually notice how they breathe, and how it has a direct affect on nearly everything they do until they establish a regular yoga practice.

Without getting too technical here are some important anatomical facts about our breath that will give you a better understanding of why breath awareness matters to athletes.

Quick anatomy lesson:

Our lungs are the organ we breathe with and they extend from just above our clavicle (collarbone) to our lower ribs. The diaphragm is a dome-like muscle that we use to breathe with. It attaches from our sternum (bone in the centre of the chest) at the front, wraps around the inside of our lower ribs and also attaches to our spine. The diaphragm has openings for blood vessels to pass through as well as two muscles of the lower back (quadratus lumborum) and hips (psoas). When we inhale fully our diaphragm contracts (expands) and when we exhale it relaxes (and rises in the ribcage). There are other muscles called the intercostals which are between the ribs that also aid in breathing. Places your hands on your low ribs and take some deep breaths to feel this in your own body. Close your eyes and repeat these deep breaths 10 times, then pause and notice how you are feeling.

When a person is stressed or anxious they breathe quickly and shallowly. This type of breathing only makes the body more tense and stressed and inhibits necessary gas exchange i.e. expelling of carbon dioxide. If the diaphragm and intercostal muscles are underused they may tense up causing problems with the muscles of the pelvis, hips and back. When breath is controlled, slow and even the nervous system is calmed, the body relaxes and the individual may also experience the following:

  • lowered blood pressure and heart rate
  • reduced levels of stress hormones in the blood
  • reduced lactic acid build-up in muscle tissue
  • balanced levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood
  • improved immune system functioning
  • increased physical energy
  • increased feelings of calm and wellbeing

When one is engaged in physical activity which causes the heart rate to rise their breathing patterns will naturally change. However, learning to control these breath patterns is the goal towards recovery and sustainability.

So why is this important for athletes?

STRESS! A professional athlete is under extreme pressure to perform. A varsity or high school athlete has to juggle competing as well as their academics. There will always be stressors in sport and outside of sport that impact athletic performance. There may be pressure to perform at the highest level from coaches, parents or athletes themselves. Pre-competition nerves can get the better of any athlete causing all kids of unpleasant physical symptoms. The practice of breath control can give them a tool to first notice when the breath becomes superficial and the body becomes tense. Then to deepen the breath and calm them to the point where they no longer feel overwhelmed.

TRAINING! Breath control can also help them in their training, especially in weight training when the exhale breath is used on exertion.

OVERALL HEALTH & WELLBEING! Stress is related to 99% of all illness! Full, deep breaths will improve overall wellness. This will have valuable physical health and emotional health benefits to athletes, resulting in less time off due to stress-related illnesses.

How does one master the breath?

One of the ways yoga is such a unique form of exercise is the importance of the breath. When you are led by a skilled teacher, he/she will be constantly reminding you to focus on your breathing as well as introduce movements that are linked to the breath. During yoga you are encouraged to rest if your breath does become shallow or forced thus prompting you to come back to a full inhale and a full exhale. This takes practice. Over time it translates easily off the mat into daily lives, training times and competition.

Come back for my next blog post: Yoga for Athletes: Improved mental focus and clarity

Yoga for Athletes: Improved mobility and strength

Posted by Feb 26, 2015 yoga Leave a Comment
Yoga for Athletes: Improved mobility and strength

Yoga is often considered a means of gaining more flexibility. Doctors and physiotherapists can be heard recommending it to athletes who display limited range of motion or are prone to injury. Yoga truly is so much more than a stretching exercise and I will touch on those points in the next segments. But if a yoga practice is initially only a time to stretch out then at least that’s a start!

Most athletes are specialists. They practice their sport nearly year-round or year round and their complementary training i.e dry-land or conditioning is primarily based on the same movements. They get stronger, faster and better at the movements they need to master in order to excel in their sport. Essentially they are creating patterns of movement that are consistently the same. And with competition being fierce there is little time to rest. This leads to compensation, overuse and injury. Youth organized sports do not emphasize enough the importance of recovery. If you ask any young athlete how often their trainers or coaches cool them down and guide them through a stretch after a practice or training session you will likely encounter blank stares. When we are young we think that our body will continue to function as it is forever. I can’t tell you how many 13 year olds I teach that can’t even come close to touching their toes. What does the future hold for them if they continue to neglect the importance of lengthening the muscles they spend most of their time shortening?

“I’m not a dancer, I’m an athlete. I don’t need to be flexible”

I often hear from athletes “I don’t need flexibility to be good at my sport”. Perhaps it’s the image of a gymnast or a dancer with their legs behind their head when we think of the word ‘Flexibility’ that gives them this mindset. If we use the idea of range of motion instead of flexibility it may help to get the point across that overuse and misuse of the body leads to reduced range of motion. This means less power in movements whether it is running, skating, swimming etc. Not only in sport-specific movements but even in training. Think of a squatting position. If an athlete has very tight hips they cannot get as deep as they should while maintaining proper alignment and will not be able to perform a squat properly without putting strain on another part of the body like the back or the knees. Never mind trying to add weight to this squatter!

What about becoming too flexible?

There are situations where athletes can be hyper-mobile. Usually females and young male athletes can by hyper-mobile through various joints like the hips, elbows, shoulders and knees. These athletes are just as likely to cause injury to themselves if they don’t learn to strengthen the muscles surrounding the joint to keep it within a reasonable range of motion. The beauty of yoga is that it has something to offer all body types! Most types of yoga do not just emphasize flexibility. There is an element of functional strength that is unlike any weighted exercise, this helps bring the body back into balance. The underutilized muscles from training repeatedly the same way are now being activated in your yoga practice. Improved core strength is a great side effect of a regular practice (the importance of core strength is another blog post in and of itself!). Simple balancing postures can throw off the strongest of Hercules’ at first but over time the body learns how to stabilize; coordination and proprioception improves thus leading to improved control, technique and more efficient movements in all endeavours.

When athletes start a yoga practice they often find it much more difficult than they expected. Their bodies aren’t used to moving in this way and if they let their EGO get in the way they may opt to pass and revert to what they know best. If they stick it out for several weeks (or it may even take months depending on how tight and scarred they may be) they will start to see big changes taking place. Movements that were once restricted or forced with be done with much more ease and grace. Yes I said “grace”! Not necessarily like a ballerina, think of an agile hockey player gliding quickly on the ice!! Improved range of motion leads to more speed and power. Yoga will make you a better athlete. But don’t take my word for it, try it for yourself and notice how you feel and how everything changes.

Next up…Yoga for Athletes: The Breath